Celebrating 100 Years

The Grandview Heights Public Library has been a constant source of inspiration and discovery for generations — the place where the community truly connects.

Join us in honoring our past, celebrating our present, and embracing our future as we commemorate 100 years of serving the community.

	New Outdoor Stage and Site Improvements To commemorate our milestone birthday, the library will be kicking off the 38th Annual Music on the Lawn summer concert series with a new permanent outdoor stage and site improvements! A significant portion of the project is being funded with a donation from the Grandview Heights Public Library Foundation. Improvements will include a new covered outdoor stage for library events, a permanent exterior drive-thru, enhanced traffic flow and parking, and improved pedestrian accessibility and walkways.
	Share Your Library Snapshots Be a part of the celebration! Submit photos with captions/recollections of your cherished memories and unforgettable experiences at the library throughout the years. Send them to pr@ghpl.org. You can also drop them off at the library, and we’ll scan them and return them to you. Selected photos will be added to a new GHPL Historical Timeline (see below).
	GHPL at 100 / Historical Society at 50 GHPL Historical Timeline Explore a special online timeline with photos and stories about the library’s history! GHPL and Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society are celebrating their 100th and 50th anniversaries, respectively, with a new collaboration. The library and the Society will use selected photos from your submissions (see above) as part of a new digital GHPL Historical Timeline. This interactive timeline will be added to the touchscreen on the library’s second level. Other timelines available on the touchscreen and online include the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Timeline and Final Salute commemorating local residents who died in service to our county. These timelines are created by a partnership between the library and the Society. Explore more local history at ghpl.org/localhistory.
	GHPL & Division of Fire at 100 New Historical Timeline, Special Events with Fire Staff We’re partnering with the City of Grandview Heights Division of Fire to celebrate our 100th anniversaries! Explore a new Historical Timeline commemorating a century of fire and EMS service in our community. Fire staff will visit for a fire history talk, fire extinguisher demonstration for families, and a special story time for our Fall 2024 library events season.
	Summer Reading Club 2024 Celebrate the library’s 100th anniversary all summer long! Our Summer Reading Club takes place May 8-August 4. Earn great prizes by attending fun programs, completing challenges, and reaching your reading goals on Beanstack. The more you read, the more chances you have to WIN! See the prize list, see all the details, and get the FREE APP.
	The Bobcake Bash (formerly the Cake Walk) Celebrate the library’s 100th birthday during The Bobcake Bash! The Grandview Heights Band & Orchestra Boosters’s annual fundraiser will feature a new decorating category dedicated to reading! The event takes place Friday, April 12, 6:30-9:30 pm, at the GHHS Gymnasium. Learn more. Enjoy a preview of the event with a “Cupcake Concert” by the Grandview Schools orchestra in the library’s atrium on Wednesday, April 10, from 6-7 pm!
	Consortium Increases to 18 Central Ohio Libraries The Westerville Public Library is joining the Central Library Consortium (CLC) in late 2024! The consortium allows Central Ohio member libraries to share materials, resources, and expenses, giving patrons access to millions of items. GHPL is the current Administering Library for the CLC and founding member (1988).
	Grandview Heights Public Library Foundation The Grandview Heights Public Library Foundation raises private funds to ensure the long-term financial security of the library and enhance its services. This year’s new pavilion and site improvements to the library’s east lawn, drive-thru, parking, and pedestrian pathways were made possible in part from a significant donation from Foundation to celebrate the library’s 100th anniversary. From dynamic library projects to national author visits and special events, learn how the Foundation supports the library and the community and how you can get involved at ghpl.org/foundation.
	GHPL History On January 11, 1923, the Grandview Heights Board of Education approved a plan for the establishment of a public library in Grandview Heights. In June 1924, the Grandview Heights Public Library opened its doors in a room in the Grandview Heights High School. After moving to four different rented sites on First Avenue, the library moved to the present location, 1685 West First Avenue, in September, 1936. The building was built with WPA funds on land donated by George Cambridge Urlin, one of the founding fathers of Grandview Heights. In addition to the High School branch, various branches have been added over the years: one in Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School in 1926, an Upper Arlington branch at Miller Park in 1942, and the Tremont Library in the 1950s. In the 1970s, the Upper Arlington Public Library became an independent system, which included the Miller Park branch and the Tremont Library. The library now has one building and does not include the libraries in the Grandview Schools. It is a founding member and Administering Library of the Central Library Consortium (CLC), a sharing of resources & expenses among 17 Central Ohio library systems cofounded by GHPL in 1988.